The Colchester boss, speaking to the Colchester Gazette last week before the two games from which the side took four points out of six, was unhappy that he side had not netted in three matches.

"Our lack of goals… is definitely a concern to us," he said at the time. The team have since scored twice, including one goal from forward Scott Vernon.

"We know that we have to do a little bit better in front of goal," he added, although refused to blame the strikers for that current plight.

U`s fans have been used to a top marksman of late, with Lisbie hitting double figures last season despite the relegation and Cureton bagging 24 stunning strikes in the team`s Championship heyday.

Cureton, of course, was linked with a possible loan move to Colchester this season when he fell out of favour at Norwich; the striker said he would have welcomed the chance to return, but Lambert kept quiet on the speculation and he ended up on loan at Barnsley instead. Click here to read the story as reported on these pages.

Lambert yesterday said it was up to Steven Gillespie to improve his lot, as he was the man designed to replace the Lisbie, who moved to Ipswich. Gillespie has just five goals this term, not a patch on the amount - 16 - he netted during 2007/8.

"We had a chance to score at the end, with Steven`s chance," he told BBC Essex.

He continued: "He`s just coming back from injury, he`s not fit enough to start at the minute.

"He`s one lad who gets a lot of chances, a lot of chances now. Even if he comes off the bench, or starts a game, I think by his admission, he would have to score."

That was after his comments earlier in the week, when the Scotsman told the EADT a lack of goals was harming the side's chance of winning promotion. He said: "We have found goals hard to come by, and it's pretty obvious that we need to score more goals."

"Mark Yeates is our top goal-scorer, and that's from a wide position."

Lambert went on:"The other teams up there all have proven goalscorers in their side, so this is an area that I'm looking to strengthen."